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Who's Who - Frederich von Ingenohl

Admiral Frederich von Ingenohl
(1857-1933) served as Germany's Chief of the High Seas Fleet from 1913-15
until his replacement with
Hugo von Pohl by Kaiser
Wilhelm II.

Appointed in 1913 to
command of the High Seas Fleet von Ingenohl was perhaps the first commander
to try and make real use of the fleet. Frustrated however by the
Kaiser's anxiety in risking his preciously nurtured surface fleet meant that
von Ingenohl was reduced to using his fleet to organise raids on the British
coastline (as
at Scarborough by
Hipper in December
1914) and in the laying of minefields.

Naval minister
Alfred von Tirpitz
began to agitate for Ingenohl's removal as Chief of the High Seas Fleet as
early as November 1914, determined to further increase his own influence.

With the German navy's
disastrous showing at the
Falkland Islands in December 1914 and Hipper's difficulties at
Dogger
Bank the following month, a whispering campaign within the Germany navy
directed at Ingenohl further increased.

The Kaiser, determined to
take action in light of the navy's reversals - and ignoring his own role in
limiting his fleet's scope for action - resolved to use Ingenohl as his
scapegoat. He was dismissed from his post on 2 February 1915 and
replaced with the even more cautious Admiral
Hugo von Pohl.

The appointment of von Pohl
brought to an end Tirpitz's own ambitions for the post; his age and lack of
command experience told against him (as did his transparent machinations).

Admiral von Pohl did not
last long in the post; he was replaced a month prior to his decease from
terminal illness in January 1916 by
Reinhardt Scheer.

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Saturday, 22 August, 2009Michael Duffy

A 'Base Rat' was a soldier perpetually at the base, typically in conditions of comfort and safety.